


I Am Not (so smart)

by Borderline_Babe



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Feelings Realization, Fluff, Jealous Rhett McLaughlin, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mythical Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:26:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21888130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Borderline_Babe/pseuds/Borderline_Babe
Summary: Rhett is feeling uncomfortable about Link's time at the gym. He thinks he's smart enough to figure out why.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 6
Kudos: 60
Collections: Mythical Secret Santa 2019





	I Am Not (so smart)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @criminalmind1927 for being my precious beta.

Rhett was a reasonable man. A man of intellect. He didn't think he was the most intelligent man in the whole world, but he felt comfortable in believing that he was the smartest man in any given room. So, when he began to feel uncomfortable when Link discussed his time at the gym, he immediately began to analyze those feelings. His therapist was trying to get Rhett to feel feelings. Advising him to take a moment to let feelings register. Take note of what part of the body he felt those feelings. But knowing and doing are two separate things and Rhett wanted to know where these feelings came from and make them go away.

It’s not like Link had just started going to the gym. It’s been years since they both made working out a part of their weekly routine. In the beginning they discussed going to the same gym but they had made a conscious decision to spend more time apart. Given a choice they would naturally gravitate towards spending every waking moment together, but, for the health of their relationship they knew that time apart was healthy. They were in this for the long haul. Friends 'til the end. So, whatever they could do to make that happen they were willing.

Rhett had been sitting at his desk staring at his email inbox, unfocused and in deep thought when Link entered their shared office. It wasn’t strange that Link did not greet him with a ‘Good morning.’ They just didn’t do that. Had rarely done it in decades. Does one greet the other half of oneself? Link went about his well-conditioned morning routine. Just listening to the sounds, Rhett could tell you exactly what Link was doing: Hanging up his jacket and backpack. Turning on his desk lamp. Lining up any desk top items that had been pushed askew from Jenna being there. Changing his glasses from prescription outside to prescription inside.

Rhett smiled to himself. He knew Link better than Link knew Link. And that thought made him happy. He knew the intimate details of Link’s life. They shared so many experiences, but even those he experienced during their times of planned separation, Link was quick to share the details. As was Rhett. He felt confident that Link held no secrets. No really big ones, definitely. Rhett felt sure about that.

“What’s got that big brain working so early this morning? I can literally hear the gears turning.” Link deadpanned from his desk, not looking up from the mail he was reading.

Rhett huffed in amusement and benignly responded, “Nothin’.”

“Hey, I’ve got an idea for a show.” Link spun around in his chair, suddenly fully animated. Rhett turned his chair around as well full concentrating on Link. “Trent was telling me about these games they played at a party he was at. It’s called Minute to Win It, I think. They do these crazy activities in competition with each other. What he described was pretty juvenile, but there's plenty of room to spice it up.”

Immediately, Rhett felt it. His skin started to crawl. His anger piqued. A small pain expanded in his chest.

“Trent?” Rhett repeated tightly.

“I told you about Trent. From my gym?” Link raised both eyebrows and gave a small jut to his jaw.

“Oh, yeah Trent.” Rhett acknowledged dryly.

“So, what do you think?” Link prodded.

Rhett thought about it for a minute, “Even though you’re just now finding out about this, it’s actually been around for a while and we want to keep things new and cutting edge. Right?”

Link shrunk in his chair looking dejected, “Oh, right. Yeah. No, you’re right.” Link’s head sinking to his chest.

Rhett studied his business partner and felt Link’s disappointment in his own bones, “But, we can throw it to the writers to see if they can come up with a new angle?” His head angled down to see Link’s fallen face.

Link raised his head with his expression lightened, “ Great! I’m so excited. I can’t wait to tell Trent we might actually use his idea.” Link spun back around and attacked his projects for the day.

Rhett sat there looking at the back of Link’s head. His irritation spilling over. He stood abruptly and walked quickly out the door. What the actual fuck? Who was this Trent? Who was this Trent to Link? They both have friends individually. Maybe not close friends. But, they definitely have casual acquaintances individual from each other. But now there’s this _Trent_ person who works out with Link several times a week, who Link shares ideas with, who Link probably laughs with. What kind of name is _Trent_ , anyway? A dumb name.

Rhett stood there dunking the tea bag into his mug over and over on the kitchen counter. Stevie walked in and greeted Rhett with a ‘Hey’ and bent to grab a flavored water from the fridge. As she stood she studied Rhett.

“Uh, Rhett. Did you get that tea bag to admit it was a witch yet?” Stevie quirked her mouth.

Rhett snapped out of his thoughts, “What? Oh, yeah.” Rhett pulled the bag out and wrapped the string around it and pulled.

“What’s on your mind?” Stevie pulled her eyebrows together.

“Nothin’. Hey, you go to the gym. Do you have a gym buddy?” Rhett asked without context.

“Nah. I pretty much get my cardio in and hightail it out of there. Why?”

“No reason, really. Just wondering about something.” Rhett dismissed.

Rhett went about his day and thankfully his obsessive thoughts of the morning were pushed aside with Mythical business. His reprieve ended that evening, however, as he lay in bed his mind drifting in the limbo between sleep and wakefulness. 

_Why do I care who Link hangs around with? Why is this bothering me? Am I afraid of losing my friend? That somehow Trent will replace me as Link’s best friend?_ When Rhett articulates the concern, he recognizes the lunacy of the thought. He reassures himself that that would never happen and he laid there and waited for the resolution to wash over him. But the anxiety does not lift. That wasn’t it. He was close. He was afraid of Trent usurping Rhett in some aspect of his and Link’s relationship. He knew that. But what was it? He lay staring at his ceiling as if the answer would soon be projected there. Rhett was a smart man. He would figure this out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Rhett was on his second cup of tea when he realized Link had not yet arrived. He made the rounds of the office to see if perhaps Link had gone directly to speak with someone. Coming up empty, he sent a text off. After a few minutes he sent another. Ignoring the fear starting to creep into his chest, Rhett finally called Link’s phone. After quite a few rings, an unknown voice answered.

“Hello?” Not-Link answered.

Rhett pulled the phone from his ear, making sure he dialed the correct number.

“ _Hello?_ ” Not-Link repeated.

“Uh, is Link there?” Rhett ventured a response.

“Rhett? Oh. Hi. Yes, he’s right here.” Not-Link answered casually, obviously reading his name from the caller ID.

“Can I speak with ‘em?” Rhett asked with a sharpness entering his voice.

“Yeah, not right now.” Not-Link responded matter-of-factly.

“Why?” Rhett’s voice rose, all pretense of pleasantness erased. “ _Who’zis anyway?_ "

Rhett has been known to lose his temper on occasion. Well, if he was being honest with himself, quite a lot. Okay, maybe he has an issue with his anger. And at this moment, he was very angry. Scratch that. He was _pissed_. 

“Oh, yeah, sorry. This is Trent.” The man sounded distracted.

Rhett was dumbfounded that this person, _Trent_ , was either incapable of sensing Rhett’s full blown anger or had chosen to ignore it. Rhett sat there in stunned silence as he felt his face burn, his body shaking, and his blood pressure skyrocketing. He finally heard Link’s voice in the background. He was asking a question and he was sure he heard his name.

“What the _fuck_ is goin’on?” Rhett bellowed at a decibel that would certainly attract attention from nearby staff.

He could hear a rustling, then murmuring, and then more rustling. He was sure that if he didn’t hear from Link and soon, he was going to hurt someone.

Finally. _Finally_.

“Rhett?” Link’s voice was weak and strained. If he was in a better mood, he might even characterize it as a little whiny.

“Link, are you okay? What’s wrong?” In response to Link’s tone of voice, Rhett had dialed back his anger considerably to mildly irritated.

“I fell.” Link sounded pitiful.

“Fell? Off of what?” Rhett questioned.

“Don’t laugh.” Link asked in a small voice.

Rhett rolled his eyes and sighed. All parties involved were testing his patience this morning.

“I promise.” He tried to make it sound calm and reassuring.

There was a pause. He imagined that Link was gathering the courage to share something potentially embarrassing. Rhett steeled himself to take in the information stoically.

“I fell off the treadmill.” Link whispered, barely audible.

Rhett’s emotions dove from intense anger to amusement. He bit his lip to stifle the laugh that had bubbled up.

“I see.” What Rhett could not cover was the smile in his voice mirroring the one that had broken out on his face.

“You promised!” Link exclaimed with new strength.

“I didn’t laugh!” Rhett contradicted his statement by laughing around the response. Biting his lip again to stifle it.

Link responded with silence.

“I’m sorry. Did you hurt yourself, bo?” Rhett transitioned to a sweet coo.

“A little.” Link responded back to his small voice.

Rhett waited for Link to continue.

“Skinned my knees and hurt my wrist. I’m icing it down.”

“Do you need me to come get you?” Rhett would not have sounded any different talking to a small child.

“Trent said he’d bring m-.” Link started.

“I’ll be right there.” Rhett cut Link off, pressed end and sprinted out of the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Rhett entered the gym his eyes immediately started scanning for Link. Some guy waved enthusiastically from the back of the room. He had a head of light blond hair and a round face belonging to someone not older than 16.

As Rhett approached the pair, he saw Link sitting in a chair with beet red scratches on the front of each knee. He was holding his left wrist with a towel containing was Rhett assumed was ice.

Link looked at Rhett with eyes that were red from crying and obviously in pain.

Rhett squatted next to Link and wordlessly opened up the towel to examine the injury. From his years of playing basketball, he had become an expert in determining a sprain from a fracture. Rhett poked a few places which caused Link to suck air between his teeth. When he finished his probing he left his hand on Link’s forearm.

“Move your fingers for me.” Rhett’s voice was gentle.

Link moved his fingers easily.

“I don’t think it’s broken but we can go to Urgent Care if you want to double check?” Rhett soothed, gently rubbing up and down Link’s arm.

“Yeah. If you don’t mind.” Link leaned on Rhett. Rhett smiled at how a moderate wrist injury had apparently made Link so “weak” that he had to lean on Rhett.

“Sure thing.” Rhett gave his arm a soft pat.

Rhett rose to his feet and saw the blond jutting out his chin to the music from his earbuds and playing some game on his phone.

Rhett looked at Link,”Trent, I suppose?” Link nodded re-wrapping his wrist in ice.

Rhett touched Trent’s arm to get his attention. His head shot up and he pulled at the earbuds.

“Uh, thanks, man, for, um taking care of Link. Sorry, I was, uh, like that on the phone.” Rhett was feeling all kinds of embarrassed for his earlier behavior.

“No biggie. Mr. Neal is an okay dude. Hate to see him face plant like that. I kinda wish I had caught it on my phone. You know?” Trent elbowed him conspiratorially. 

Rhett smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Gotta get those clicks.”

“It would have gone viral, man!” Trent picked up his gear. “Feel better Mr. Neal.”

“Thanks Trent. Good luck on the Algebra exam.” Link called out.

Rhett shouldered Link’s bag and helped him stand. Link winced as he straightened his knees.

“Hurts like a son of a bitch.” Link winced.

Rhett rubbed Link’s back sympathetically.

As they made their way through the gym, Link looked up to Rhett, “What was that about you being some kinda way on the phone?”

Rhett burned again with embarrassment. He looked away, not wanting to own up to his behavior. Knowing Link like he did, he knew that he would eventually pull it out of him, so he came clean.

“I sorta yelled at him.” Rhett mumbled.

Link stopped and stepped back, “You _what_?”

“It’s not important.” Rhett dismissed and directed Link to start moving.

Link acquiesced, but continued to study Rhett. His expression of someone calculating all the reasons behind why Rhett would have reacted that way.

Link’s face flashed with realization, he snapped his fingers and pointed at Rhett, “Oh my god, you’re _jealous_!”

It was Rhett’s turn to stop and step back. Hand on his chest. “I. Am. Not. He’s just a boy!”

“Yeah, but you didn’t know that!” Link excitedly poked his finger into Rhett’s chest.

Rhett felt called out. His mind raced to defend himself. Get out from under this accusation. He needed deflection.

“Why didn’t you mention that Trent was a teenager?” Rhett responded triumphantly.

Rhett must have struck a nerve because Link’s smile faltered and a red blanket of guilt descended over his face, neck and chest. He quickly began to move to the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rhett got Link settled in the car and buckled in. They started towards the clinic in silence. Link had been correct. Rhett _had_ been jealous of Trent, initially. Not of his friendship necessarily but he had been jealous nonetheless. Of what, he wasn’t sure yet but he owed Link that much.

“Maybe I was jealous. A little.” Rhett said quietly, glancing at Link and then back to the road.

Awkward silence. 

“Maybe I wanted you to be. A little.” Link said in the same volume glancing up to Rhett and then back at his bandaged wrist.

 _Really awkward silence_.

The staff at Urgent Care was efficient and friendly and in no time Link was x-rayed, medicated, and splinted. 

The whole experience was fairly routine but as Rhett watched the medical staff work on Link the terrifying thought of one day losing him floated into his consciousness. Then that feeling came back. That anxiety. Then it dawned on him.

_That’s what I was worried about with Trent! Losing Link to him._

Rhett sat with that thought for a minute. 

_What if circumstances or another person takes Link from me? Oh, god. Please don’t take him. Don’t take my sun. My moon. Don’t take my heart. My … love._

Rhett chastised himself for being so stupid. Not realizing what was right before him. And Link had wanted him to be jealous. Did that mean he feels the same way?

When Rhett got Link back in the car. His mind was playing one thought on repeat. _I love Link, I love Link, I love Link._

Link let his head fall against the headrest. “Boy, that shot they gave m—-“

“Link, I love you.” Rhett blurted out. 

Link pulled his heavy head off the headrest and struggled to focus on Rhett. “I know ‘m high asa kite, buddyro, b’that sounded like ya tellin’ me ya love me.” Link slurred out.

“I know it’s terrible timing, but I just realized it and if I don’t say it, I'll end up back in that clinic with a stroke or something.” The words spilled out.

Link blinked slowly then his head fell back on the headrest one last time, eyes closed. Rhett watched his jaw relax and heard a light snore. He smiled warmly at the sight of the man. His man. He hoped.

Rhett opened Link’s car door when they got to Link’s house. He bent down and whispered in Link’s ear, “Wake up buddy, you’re home.”

Link sleepily looked around and nodded. Rhett supported Link’s unsteady efforts and guided him into and through the house. He got Link’s clothes off down to his boxer briefs with very little help. Rhett tucked Link in, propping his wrist on a pillow. He looked down at Link’s angelic face and couldn’t resist kissing his forehead. 

As his lips pressed against Link’s skin, Rhett heard his sleepy voice, “Now that we love each other, can you stay with me?” 

“Yes.” _Forever_.

~ The ~~End~~ Beginning ~


End file.
